100 Greatest Guitar Solos

Stairway to Heaven is good but I would put Free Bird #1 maybe.

This would be a pretty sweet guitar hero game though.
 
Well, if they are going to include Stevie and go the blues route, the list is incomplete without something from buddy guy, muddy waters, albert king, etc.

and how does lindsey buckingham not get on the list...he might have been but i didnt see it...
 
I'll probably catch some flak for this but Kirk Hammett and Slash are way too high on that list.

I'm old school though.
 
IMO the list is pretty ******. As is typical for lists like these, it's pretty obvious that it's not really the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos" of all time, but "100 songs which are the best-known songs of musicians who are known for having good guitar solos".

It's also kind of funny to see instrumental guitar songs in the list (I guess they're considering the entire songs to be "guitar solos"?).

In any case my vote for best guitar solo is a toss-up between two songs (or at least versions of songs) that aren't even on the list:

1A) SRV - Life Without You (13-minute live version on the In Step Remastered Edition)

1B) Allman Brothers Band - Blue Sky (live version on Evening With The Allman Brothers Band)

Also, way behind those two in terms of sheer skill/virtuosity, but IMO 18 by The New Year (formerly Bedhead) is better than the vast majority of songs in that list, and if instrumentals are going to be allowed, "Just Look Up" by Joe Satriani is better than any of the other Satriani songs on that list.
 
As far as Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin solos go, I'll take the one in Dazed and Confused over Stairway to Heaven. It was short but very sweet.
 
Not a good list at all.

First off they get props for Jonny Greenwood's solo. (Great solo btw.)

and the two Steely Dan songs.. although they missed the best "My Old School" & "Peg."

Where's Elliot Easton (the Cars) in that list. Half of his leads are better than those mentioned.

No Buckingham

And that's the best lead those people can think of for Brian May?
 
I see "Through the Fire and Flames" didn't make the list.
biggrin.gif
 
The fact that it took 94 spots to feature a guitar solo by Rush's Alex Lifeson makes this list a traveshamockery!
 
I just shredded some SRV on my air guitar while sitting here at my desk - no question I'd nominate that performance for the top-100 and most would agree were they here to see it.
 
About as worthwhile as the Grammys in terms of identifying musical ability. Have any of the people that voted ever actually played guitar? There are throwaway solos by the likes of Jeff Beck, SRV, Eric Johnson, Duane Allman, etc...that are better than anything in their Top 10 not played by Jimi Hendrix.
 
Not one listing from David Evans (the Edge)? Come on. I am not going to try and argue the guy is in the same league technically as some of the all time greats, BUT let there be no doubt that he has absolutely on of the most distinct, lasting and identifiable styles of playing as any guitarist ever. He should be on there somewhere.

Another glaring omission IMO is lack of Steve Stevens (Billy Idol and Michael Jackson's Dirty Diana). that guy can flat out bring it and should be represented somewhere as well IMO.
 
That is a ****** ****** ****** list.

"You really got me" at 59? Ridiculous.

Also, that list maker really needs to expand his horizons. An extremely safe list.
 
frazz --

I was about to post the same thing. Ace Frehley on the list? And at 50?!?!?!

You have have Dickey Betts/Jessica at 47 (too low) and the Shock Me?
 
Typing my thoughts as I page through the list:

1) "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at number 26? Come on, that's ridiculous. No denying his enormous impact on music (helping to usher out the hair metal bands almost overnight), but there's no way this belongs in the top-30 rock solos of all time.

2) Nice to see David Gilmour getting several mentions. The guy's solos are so lyrical and expressive...tons of gorgeous moments. Maybe my favorite soloist of all time-- his work is intense and beautiful at the same time. He understands how to ADD something to the song, not just interrupt the song for 30 seconds with a look-at-me moment.

3) Interesting that they chose Nugent's "Stranglehold." Fair or not, he's the guy who was an early poster-child for the "look-how-many-notes-I-can-play-in-one-measure" approach, yet he gets a nod for a solo that leaves lots of space between ideas (all you 14-year-olds with rock aspirations, take note).

4) "Sharp Dressed Man" at number 43? What a terrible ******* choice. That might not even be in Gibbons' 43 best solos, much less all of rock and roll.

5) "Hot For Teacher" at 46. See above.

6) "Beat It" (Eddie Van Halen) at 67. I think this list maker has no concept of what made EVH great... soooooo many kick *** EVH solos, and he's getting props for this self-congratulatory nonsense.

7) NIce to see Pete Townsend get a mention. Underrated guy.

8) "Mean Street" Hooray, they finally got one right. Funny, when I was typing my EVH comments above, I was going to mention this song as an example of something innovative and ballsy that is WAY better than his other stuff on this lest.

9) Pleasantly surprised to see "Yellow Ledbetter" and "'Cause We've Ended As Lovers" on this list.

One last thought: I think one of the great rock solos that never gets mentioned is The Knack's "My Sharona," probably because they were a one-hit wonder. But this solo is magnificent. You gotta listen to the long version... not the edited-for-radio version that cuts almost the entire solo out. It has great phrasing and a lot of energy, it builds in intensity by mixing melodic ideas with repetitive string bends. I love this solo.

Some subjects I could share opinions on forever!

Thanks to the original poster for the link.

(editing after reading through everyone else's comments)
Agree with most everything said above. Overall, not a very good list. Too safe a list, and too much emphasis on what was a hit. Way too much emphasis on speed, speed speed. About 10 of those speed-metal solos all sound just the same to me.

Agreed that Buckingham and Edge are glaring omissions. I would take the solo in "Go Your Own Way" over all this Randy Rhodes and Zakk Wylde crap.

Fun topic.
 
When I read the first page and saw that Blue Sky by the Allman brothers was not among the top10 I realized I was going to have serious problems with this list.
 
Sweet Jane - The Velvet Underground doesn't even have a solo, right??? And from the very same album is one of my favorite guitar work of all time, Oh! Sweet Nuthin'.

Smells Like Teen Spirit is dumb choice.

And Lonnie Mack's possible solo-ing on The Doors' Roadhouse Blues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top